Public, collective expression of objection to a policy or regime is protest. It ranges from permitted marches and rallies to civil disobedience and, at the extreme, riots.

Protests signal the intensity of grievances when ordinary institutional channels seem closed or unresponsive. They can shift public opinion, put issues on the agenda, and impose political costs on decision-makers. Authorities respond with accommodation, co-optation, or repression depending on the system and the perceived threat.

Effective protest usually requires organization, framing that resonates beyond core activists, and discipline sufficient to maintain public sympathy. Digital tools have lowered the cost of mobilization while also creating new vulnerabilities to surveillance and misinformation. The right to peaceful protest is protected in liberal democracies and restricted or denied under authoritarian rule.

A sustained protest movement can force issues that elections alone did not resolve.